Editorial June 30, 1997 Issue

Hypnotism. God never suggested such a thing

Russ Gerber

Not too long ago I caught the last several minutes of an infomercial in which a man talked about hypnotism as a wonderful problem-solver. He claimed it was not only a good way to help people quit smoking or lose weight, but that it was also a way to build up one's self esteem, even gain the upper hand over pain. His message was that hypnosis is the key to controlling mind and body.

Assuming there were skeptics watching, especially those questioning the part about body control, the host gave a demonstration. He cut a lemon open and squeezed the juice into his mouth. The camera then zoomed in on the man's face to show him puckering up just as you might expect anyone would. His suggestion: viewers at home would have had a reaction similar to his own—their mouths would have watered and their lips puckered—without the lemon ever coming into contact with their bodies. What further proof does anyone need, his argument went, that our bodies are directly affected by what we think. All that's left to do in order to be healthier and happier, the host concluded, is for people to submit to all the possibilities of hypnosis.

It's easy to roll our eyes and say, "Yeah, so what's the big deal? Besides, the whole thing is just for fun!" But the hypnotist wasn't doing it for fun. He didn't look into the camera and say, "Listen, folks, I'm just kidding. You don't really want to be controlled by me or by any other person for that matter. You should control what you think." Instead, he argued for just the opposite. His closing comments were aimed at convincing viewers that hypnotism will help anyone—in effect saying that it's good to allow someone else to direct your thinking.

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Hypnotism. God never suggested such a thing

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